By Nina Huang Northwest Asian Weekly More than 30 community members showed up for a meeting at the American Hotel on Monday to discuss economic development priorities and funding opportunities for the Chinatown/International District. The meeting was the first of three.

Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels visited Little Saigon, the Vietnamese American business district in Seattle’s International District. This tour was organized by Washington Vietnamese American Chamber of Commerce (WAVA). He visited Little Saigon’s business owners and expressed his desire to see more city investment in Little Saigon, enlarging buses’ free bus zones, and improving the physical appearance of the streets.

WESTMINSTER, California (AP) — John Fallan’s trained eye scans rows of iceboxes brimming with tiger fish and shrimp in a Vietnamese supermarket, searching for one pesky fish that threatens the health of seafood lovers.

Community leaders in Little Saigon and Jackson Place are glad their collective voices were heard and key issues have been worked out for the neighboring Dearborn Street Development Project. They have agreed not to oppose the construction of the $300 million multi-use commercial development before the Seattle City Council or in court.

In 2012, rather than looking at a thrift store that has seen better days, we will see a 10-acre retail area. Detractors have called it an impersonal “mall” — stating that it will damage family-owned businesses in Little Saigon, driving away some of the character that makes the International District unique.